Pipe, casing, and drill-stem tongs.



L. L. RICHARD.

PIPE, CASlNG, AND DRILL STEM TONGS, APPLICATION FILED JULY 24.1911.

Patented Mar 19,1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET P.

v Fig; 1

A TTORNE YS.

L. L. RICHARD PIPE, BASING, AND DRILL STEM TONGS. APPLICATION mmwpv 24,1917.

,s SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESS;

v flit/ Quad A TTORNE YS L. L. RICHARD.

PIPE,'CAS!NG, AND DRILL STEM TONGS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 24,1917. L wfimo Patented Mar. 19, 191&

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3 WITNESS.-

f IN VE NTOR Q0 flzszfa ATTORN/EYS.

,igaaaero.

.To'aZZ whom it mag/concern: J

LEROY 12.; Brennan," or

coALi-nGa, onmronnr'n.

YIIPIPE, CASING, nivnnmnn-srnn TONGS.

.Be it known hat'I,- LERY L. RIoH'Anma citizen of the United States, residing at Coalinga, in the county of Fresno and State of. California, have invented certain new and" useful. Improvements in Pipe, Casing,

' and Drill-Stem Tongs, of the fol- My invention; relates to adapted, in general, for-setting and un screwing the jointsof pipe.

lowing is a specification.

the .5.51: tongs The-invention is, howevenesp'ecially inv tended for use inthe well-drillingart, and

, and breaking of the -it may be used upon'well casing, though I particularly design the tongs for the making rotary-tool joints of the drill-stems.

In rotary well-driliingapparatus, the drill is. carried on the lower end'of a drill 'stem, which consists of. astring of pipe sections,

several of which, termeda stand are directly screwed together; and .these :stands are successively unitedby rotaryi-tool joints composed of a male and female -me mber'- a the novel tongs which I shall now fully descrewed together.

'- The. drill stem, in being lengthened, and

in being dismemberedon removal, is'usually brokenat-these .tool joints into its several stands. In this operation -it is usual to employ two men on the derrick floor, one man.

operating one pair of tongs, to efi'ect the screwing or unscrewing of the joint, and. the other man operating another pairof. tongs called the back up-t0ngs, to'hold the joint against the pressure of the first tongs; In

this operation much time and labor are consumed in fitting and manipulating the two pairs of tongs, these being suspended from the derrickand fitted with pull and pullback attachments, r equiring adjustment and attention. These are'well known operations and need'no detailed description, inorder to fully understand the objects and. advantages of my invention.

The essential o'b ec sity of two independent and separate tongs, and dispensing with oneman on the derr ck A li ation filed July 2 1,

I I' have in view is to provide a single tool or instrument capable in itself of servinglboth as-a pressure and. a back-up tongs, thereby avoiding the neces- 1e17; 1 Serial No. 182,445.

' -sp c fic ion ana ra .ratentea-Mar. is, ieie.

A further object isto adapt the tool for ready application without the use of latches, and the loss'of time in their manipulation.

: In the special application of my tongs,

namely, to the rotary tool joints of drillstems, li -consideration need be paid to the T common ldea that the'jaws must fully encircle the pipe in order toavoid a crushing efiect, .because the .jointsinquestion are quite thick and are not liable to'be crushed. Therefore, the jaws of my tongs but partially embrace the joint members, and can be readily snapped to place, requiring "-110; latches. I have, however, provided supplementary'jaws to be used connection with j the main aws insuch manner that they too canbe readily fitted' to and approximately fully encircle the ipe without the necessity of latching, there y adapting the tool for any kind of pipe, or for well-casing, or for screwing up or unscrewingthe stem sections,

both of 'tlie"stand, and where said sections 'j oin the tool-j oint.

To these ends mylnvention consists in scribe, by reference to the accompanying A drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation-of my tongs:

the: line;

Fig. 6 is a'front elevation of a-slight inodification otmy tongs, with respect to the "transmission-of the handle movement to the jaws and dogs. Fig. 7 is a 7 7 .of Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a modification involving a pinion and rack transmission from the handle to the jaws.

and dogs. I

Fig. 9 is a vertical section on 9=-9 of Fig.8.

Fig. 10 is a horizontal section on the line 1010 of Fig. 9. i Figsll is'a plan vi the line ew of the modification of Figs. 8 to lfi'showing the attaclunent tag horizontal section on the line front elevation of-another ghgtangg iof a1 eta-f v supple nt ry" jaws,

t e l t er einei n' their in r-P i esa f'Fi-g.- 1 2 at; tiaifvitt; tithe tags or igs 1-5 showing itimposition ready for snapon vthe rotary-tool joint".v v v, '13 is an elevation of a rotary tool-j joint! showingthe tongs applied thereto, I 1

'- Fig. 15 is a plan view of the} tongs fitted ter being open and ready/to be fitted-'to the Pipe Section i y-tool joint. e

Fig- 16 is .j an "elevation: of a rotarytool joint withiitspip'e section, showing the tongs;

fitted to it.

- Fig. 1': 518.3. plan view oft he same.

. Referring particularly to Figs. '1"to 1 5 1 isthe body. blocker-stock which carriesthe -operat1've .partsl' 'l-hisblo'ck is-arcuate, as. seen in" Fig. {1,101'1- afradius adapting it to.

1 conform -to the "pipe; casing, stem or other part' to which" the tool is tobe applied. I -Upon the upper face j of the block isslid- 'ably'mounted, as,-for exz'u'nple, by a dove. tail 2, the upper or, as" itjmay be termed, the pressure jaw 3, whic'h.is achannel inems ber, approximately semicircular as to length,- as seen in Figs. 2 and 4, on the same-radius as the arcuate' block, upon which it slidesin' a eircular'path.

T Ineach extremity of the Med, by a'pin 4, a gripping dog 5, the arcuate shank 6 of which is housed within the dogs 5', with arcuate shanks 6.

jaw,v the two shanks extending spaced from each other.

Asecond jaw 3' dovetail 2', and, in the extremities of saidjaw are pivoted, by pins 4:, the gripping The jaws, and dogs above and below are alike.

From the back .center of the body-block 1 projects a shaft 7,-upon which is pivoted a handle 8. Above the pivotal point, the handle carries-a lug 9 which-projectsinto the space between the adjacent extremities of the shanks 6 of the upper dogs 5; and

below said pivotal point,the handle carries a lug 9' which projects into the spacebetween the adjacent extremities ofthe shanks 6' of the lower dogs 5. v

10 is a lock-pin for either of the upper dogs and 10 is a similar lock-pin for either of the lower dogs. These pins are removably fitted through the jaw walls and the intervening dog-shanks. When so fitted, the

dogs to which the-pins are applied are locked against movement on their pivot pins,

while the other dogs are free to move on their pins. I

The parts thus far described constitute the essential features of the tongs, and it toward but 1 Y li swing on its pivot pin 4'. a I WhlChmay be termed Now, by swinging the top of the handle the back-up jaw is slidably mounted upon the lower face of the body block 1 as by a will-be well, at this point, to deseribe their operation and effect, before passing on to ,13, 1 1 i s theI-male member and 12 isthe female member screwed together tightly. The tongs when-in normal, condition "ready I vo v for application to the joint, asshown in? l .Figs; 1 and 12, has its 'handIe 'B VerticaI; its lugs 9 and 9' alined verticallyjits jaws 3 and 3'; symmetricallyIcentrally.disposed-{- on thebody block lg-and the gripping 5 and 5' with their shanks 6: and '6"-fg.'ene'r ally conformto and continue the curvature" fof the jaws@ The-jaws and thedog's.- thus "present an approximate semicircle andare adapt'cd'to be readily -swung to and snapped I y" upon-the joint and to'embrace the members thereof, as seenin-Eig; 14. The upper or pressure jaw withits dogs partially.- em- .braeeth'eimale member 11 of the joint andthe lower or back-up jaw with its dogspa-r- ,tially embrace the female member 12 of the a 19o. "Assuming the joint to be set [up tight, and. the object 'be to break and unscrew it, Y the lock-pin 10 is fitted, as seen' in Figs. 1, 1 1 2and 14:,"t'o lock' the right hand upper dog. 4 I -(looking into the face of the'tool), while jaw 3 is ;pi v-' joint, as'seen in Fi 13.

thevleft hand upper dog is free to swing on 1 'I its pivot pin 4;. Conversely, the lock-pin 10' is fitted to lock the left hand lower dog, leaving the right hand lower dog free" to 8 over to the left, its upper lug 9 moves free shank 6 of the upper left hand dog 5,

Q with the effect of throwing the shank'backwardly and turning the dog itself inwardly into gripping contact-with the male member 11 of the joint.

the opposite direction to that of the upper lug 9, thereby-bringing said lowerlug into contact with the extremity of the free shank 6' of the lower right hand dog 5', and-by] swinging said shank backwardly, forces said dog into gripping contact with the female. member 12 of the stem-joint. Continued movement in the'same direction of the ham.-

movement theoretically would be equal; in opposite directions; but practically the movement is s'uch that the jaw encounterin the least resistance will move its applie member, while the other serves as.a. back up on its member. Assuming, therefore,

The same movement. ,of'the 1 handle 8 causes its lower lug 9fto move in that the male member 11 of the joint will give first, he upper jaw will turn sai'd'mem- W in the reetibn be unscrew 1t, as shown" a ar by the arrowin Fig. 1 whilethe lower jaw will holdonthe female member as ,aback-up."- .f Thisf'firstl movement of the handle wi-ll, ther efore, break the -.in' itial jand'i hardest friction of the .joint,:.an'd,' tocOntinu'e the unscrewing for-fa turn or two until. the joint Y is suflici'ently loose to be unscrewed by more convenient means, it isonly necessary to. move the .handle 8 back again-and over .to

the right of the vertical, so that its lugs 9 and 9' will work against the locked upper :and. lower dog shanks, whereupon the movement of the jaws will be reversed, all the. dogs slipping in thisdirection to a fresh place, whenthe first movement may berejpeated in order to continue the unscrewing efiect. It will. now readily be seen that. if

the object be to screw up instead of to un screw the joint, it is only necessary to reverse the positions of the lock-pins 10 and 10", so that the upper dog which before was locked is now freed, and'the upper dog which before was free is now locked; and

7 .so, likewise, with the lower -dogs.-

It may be required at times to unscrew the section of the. drill stem from the joint. To adapt the device for this purpose, haviollowing attachment. and 17, is a pair of supplementary jaws.

ing in view'the fact that the section is of smaller diameter, .as sh own, 13in Fig. 16, than the tool-joint members, I provide the These are pivotedlat 15 in the slotted ends of the upper. dogs 5. They are arcuate on a radius adapting them forconcentric housingwithin the main jaw, lying against'the shanks of thedogs, as in Fig/17 and their length issuchth'at when so housed they will embrace the stem section, as seenin said.

. mately encircling the pipe, also take care, of the prevailing impression that the pipe Fig. 17 and in Fig. '16.. In their open extended position, as in Fig. 15, they present a space to admit the stem section 13,.and .as they are pressed upon by it, they turn inwardly into the main jaw and finally em brace the section, :fitting it closely. They have teeth 16, and as they lie agairistthe shanks of the dogs, the operations hereto fore described affect them to alternately.

grip and slip the stem sectionywhile the lower main jaw with 'itsdogs, serves as a back-up on the male member 11 of thejoint to which itis applied.

These supplementary aws "by approximust not be crushed by a partial grip. An

extension of this idea naturally leadsto the obvious fact that such supplementary jaws may'be applied to the dogs of thelower main as well as, and in addition to the upper main jaw, andthus .make the tongs serve for unscrewing the joints of casingor otherpipes. I have sufh'ciently indicated this by showing the lower dogs with slotted extremities' adapted for the reception of 14, in Figs. 15, .16

of these; supplementary jaws various diameters'of'pipe may be worked on with the implement.

.li shall .now refer to slight modifications relating-to the means for transmitting the .movement of thehandle' 8 to operate the jaws and dogs InFigs. e and 7, thelugs 9 was a the supplementary jaws like 1 1%. it is also apparent that by varying the size and shape handle 8 instead of playing'directly between andin contact-with the adjacent ends of the dog shanks, are-fitted-in blocks 17 and 1'? slidably mounted-in the upper and lowerjaws'3 and .3 respectively These-blocks contact. withand' act'upon the dog shanks 6 and -6 respectively. g In Figs. 8 9 and 10, the body memberi's in the form of a housing 18,-inwhich the upper and lower jaws '3 and 3' slide by a tongue andgroove connection shown at. 19

in- Fig. .9. In the jaws are slidably fitted the blocks 20, which like the blocks 17 of Figs. 6 and- 7, play between and act on the shanks of the dogs carried by the jaws. -These blockshave racks 21, with which en- I gages a pinion 22 carried by a. pin 23 of the handle 8, which is pivotally mounted on the back of the body housing 18.

the jerk line and the pull back.

LA tongs comprising a body-member;

fupper and lower jaws independently slid= ably mounted .on saidmember; a gripping.

dog pivotally mounted and'relatively op'po'-.

site on each jaw; alfixed abutment in each jaw opposing its'gripping dog; a handle plvota'lly mounted. on; the body-Inember;

and means for transmitting the movement of the handle in one direction to simulta neously set intojgrippingfunction thedogs of each jaw and to move said jaws in rela'.

tively opposite directions, andin the reverse direction of the handle to act against "the in relatively opposite reverse difixed abutmentsl to -move the jaws. and slip the dogs rections.

2; A tongs comprising a-fbody-member;

upper and lower .jaws independently slid-- ably mounted on said member; gripping dogs pivotally mounted in each extremity of each jaw;.-means for selectively locking a pair of relatively opposite dogs in the two pivotally mounted on the bodymember-j jaws against pivotal movement; a handle 12s and means associated with the handle for. v acting on the relatively opposite free dogs when the handle is moved in onev direction to throw said dogs in to gripping function I and to move the jaws in relatively opposite directions; and when .-the'- handle is moved in the other direction" to act on. the rela-j tively opposite .lockeddogs to move the jaws in relatively opposite reverse directions-and s-vslip the dogs.-

H 3.A tongs co upper and lower jaws independently slid-' ably mounted on said member; "a gripping dog-pivotally mounted in one extremity of l'oone jaw; and a gripping dog'gpivotally mounted in the opposite; extremity of the ;other jaw; 'a cfixed'abutment 'in the other *end of the first jaw. and a fixed abutment in'the other end of the second jaw; a handle pivotally mounted on the body-member; 1 and contact lugs on the, handle one above p and the other belowits pivotal point, said v-lugvajcting when the handle is moved in" one direction; to setthe relativelyopp'osite 4.- A tongs comprising "a bOdyFmember;

eachljaw; meansfor-"selective'ly locking a 30=pair of relatively oppositefld'ogsjin the two "1" aws against piv otal movement; a handle 'pivotallymounted on the body-member;

and,contact lugs 'on'the handle one above and the otherbelow its pivotal point, said 935 lugs-acting, when the-handleis moved in one direction; on the relatively opposite free 'dogsto set them' in to gripping function and to movethe jawsl in relatively opposite i directions, and when reversed, to act against I {m the relatively opposite locked dogs to-move thejawsfin relatively; opposite reverse direcf tions. and slip'the dogs.

'5..A tongs-comprising a'body-member; '.;-upp'er H and lower jaws independently slidl'jdogpivotally 'mounted in each extremity ":of each jaw, each dog having a shank housed the jaw; means for selectively locking a .i .-'pair of relatively opposite dogs .in the t'wo r 1 50. rj'aws' agarnst pivotal. movement; a pair of supplementary gripping jaws; means for It -'-'pivoting said -pair of gripping jaws to a pair of gripp ng dogs 1n position to enable said jaws to "embrace'a pipe and to turn .5.5" back. intothe main jaws into contact with thes'hanks of-the dogs thereof; a handle {pivOtally mountedfon the body-member;

':and means associated with the handle to act through the shanks of the-dogs to set the 9' supplementary jaws in to gripping function,

. and to. nlove'th'e main jaws .in relatively vlopp'ositie directions both forward and reverse:

' @1144} tbs comprising a body-member;

"prising" a may-member;

ably mounted on; said member; a gripping.

jujpe'r and lower fja'ws independently slid; a 1y mountedon'saidmember;'a...-grippingfzl .dog' pivotally mounted in. each 1 extremity of eachjjaw; each ,doghavin'g' a shank housed-- I in the jaw means-for selectively looking a pain of relatively opposite dogs in th'etwo' aws against pivotal movement; .a pair, of

supplementry'gripping jaws;- means 'for pivoting sald pa1r ofgrlppmg jaws-to a pair of'grippingdogs in'position-to enable" said'ljaws toembrace a pipe and to turn back intol-z'the main jaws into contact with the shanks of the dogs thereof; a handle pivotally mounted on the body-member;

and means associated with the handleto act through theshanks of thedogs to set the opposite directions both forward andfireverse, said meanscomprismg devices on the handle one above and the other below its pivotalpoint.

supplementary aws into gripping functiom "and; to move the main jaws in relatively 57. 1A tongs comprising an arcuate body member; an upper and a'lower jaw arcuate on substantially the sairne'radiusv as said body-member and approximately :semicircular in length, said jaws beingslid-ably mounted on the body-member and adapted to move in a circular path thereon; grip ping jaws pivotally mounted in each extremity of each jaw; means for selectively locking a pair of relativelyopposite dogs in the two jaws against pivotal movement;. a handle pivotally mounted on the bodyqnember; and means associated with the handle andaoting 'on the dogs, for setting in to gripping function the pair or free dogs and moving the jaws in relatively opposite di rections upon the movement of the handle in one direction, and for reversing in relatively oppositedirections the movement of the aws and slipping the dogs when the movement of the handle is reversed.

8. A tongs comprising an arcuate bodymember; an upper and a lower jaw arcuate on substantially the same radius as sa1dbody-member and approximately semicircular in length, said jaws being slidably mounted on the body-member and adapted Y to move in a circular path thereon; gripping jaws pivotally mounted in each extremity of each jaw; means for selectively locking-a 'pair of relatively opposite dogs vin the two jaws against pivotal movement;

a handle pivotally mounted on the bodymember; means associated with the handle and acting on the dogs, for setting in to gripping function the pair of free dogs and moving the jaws in relatively opposite di? rections upon the movement of the handle in one direction, and for reversing in relatively opposite directions the movement of the jaws and slipping the dogs when the mo ement of he handle is reversed and a,

air of arcuate supplementary gripping name to this specification in the presenee of 13Wi adagted tobreceive andlembrace tile two subscribing Witnesses. Wor sai 'aWs ein ivotal carried a, pair of'n iain jawsi a hd adagted to 015 LEROY RICHARD 5 inwardly therein into operative contact with Witnesses:

the dogs of said main aws. WM F. BOOTH,

In testimony whereof I have signeoi my D. B. RICHARDS. 

